Announcing the winners of the 2024 NAIDOC Art Competition

MacDonnell Regional Council is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 NAIDOC Art Competition, which ran for three weeks and invited participation from schools across the region. Open to students aged 5 to 11, the competition embraced this year’s NAIDOC theme, Blak Loud and Proud — Keep the Fire Burning, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through artistic expression.

Both winning submissions were remarkable whole-school efforts, demonstrating the creativity of our young artists and the power of community collaboration. Jenny Carew, Director of Remote Schools, provided strong support throughout the competition and played a pivotal role in encouraging student participation. This initiative exemplified how schools, students, teachers, and staff came together, united by a shared sense of pride in their culture and history.

The winners are:

1st place: Areyonga – awarded a new chilled and filtered water bubbler station featuring the winning artwork.

2nd place: Finke – awarded a bottle filling station showcasing the runner-up artwork.

In keeping with MacDonnell Regional Council’s commitment to fostering sustainability, the competition prizes promote environmentally responsible practices within our communities. By installing these water bubblers and bottle-filling stations, we aim to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles while showcasing the students’ artwork. This initiative reflects our ongoing efforts to collaborate with communities on projects that not only celebrate culture but also build a sustainable future.

All submissions were judged anonymously by Councillors from MacDonnell Regional Council, ensuring a fair and transparent process.

The anonymous judging underscores our commitment to inclusivity and fairness, making this a community-driven event from start to finish. The vibrant artwork beautifully captures the NAIDOC theme’s spirit while honouring our region’s deep cultural heritage.

The prizes for the winning schools include the installation of these water stations, which will proudly display the students’ artworks, along with cash prizes for the artists: $200 for 1st place and $100 for 2nd place.

We look forward to seeing these fantastic artworks displayed. They will serve as a reminder of the important collaboration between MacDonnell Regional Council and the community in fostering cultural pride and working towards a more sustainable future.

Click here to go to LinkedIn and view the artwork.